Amendments to model articles

The model articles were amended by the Mental Health (Discrimination) Act 2013 on 28 April 2013 to remove the provision for terminating a director’s appointment on grounds of mental health. This provision could be found in:

paragraph 18(e) of the model articles for private companies limited by shares or by guarantee

paragraph 22(e) of the model articles for public companies

You don’t have to remove the provision if it’s in your articles, but you can do so by amending your articles or by adopting the newer model articles.

Which versions apply

The latest model articles apply by default to all private and public limited companies incorporated on or after 28 April 2013.

The older model articles continue to apply by default to all companies incorporated between 1 October 2009 and 27 April 2013 (inclusive).

Table A

Table A is the name given to the prescribed format for articles of association of a company limited by shares under the Companies Act 1985 and earlier legislation.

When a company limited by shares was incorporated, it didn’t need to file articles if it used ‘Table A’ as its articles. If you want to see the regulations that govern the management of the company, you’ll need to refer to the relevant ‘Table A’ - the version which was in force at the date of the company’s incorporation.

Later versions of ‘Table A’ don’t affect a company registered before the new versions took effect.

The first prescribed format, made in The Joint Stock Companies Act, 1856, were called ‘Table B’, because they were preceded by a form of Memorandum of Association called ‘Form A’.

The articles were first called ‘Table A’ in The Companies Act 1862 and the naming convention continued for the acts which followed.

Disclaimer

The ‘Table A’ documents provided above have been reproduced from the original published Acts, Order or Instruments listed above and are correct to the best of our knowledge. Companies House accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions. Reliance should be placed solely on the relevant legislation as published by Office of Public Sector Information.